


Lessons Learned

by GoringWriting



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Adorable Jester Lavorre, Alternate Universe - After College/University, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Modern with Magic, Awkward Yasha (Critical Role), Bisexual Mollymauk Tealeaf, Caleb Widogast Deserves Nice Things, Caleb Widogast Has Issues, Caleb Widogast Needs a Hug, Caleb Widogast-centric, Canon-Typical Violence, Flirty Mollymauk Tealeaf, Gay Disaster Beauregard Lionett, Good Friend Yasha (Critical Role), Hurt Caleb Widogast, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, M/M, Mollymauk Tealeaf & Yasha Friendship, Mollymauk Tealeaf Has Feelings, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, POV Caleb Widogast, Protective Mollymauk Tealeaf, Threats, Trent Ikithon Bashing, Trent Ikithon Being an Asshole, Warning: Trent Ikithon
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-14
Updated: 2021-03-02
Packaged: 2021-03-14 21:55:05
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,831
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29425617
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GoringWriting/pseuds/GoringWriting
Summary: Caleb Widogast is both nervous and excited about starting school at Wildemount University. Excited because of all the knowledge he can gain and nervous because of things that happened at his old school. This story will follow Caleb, his family, and his friends through their adventured.
Relationships: Beauregard Lionett/Yasha, Fjord/Jester Lavorre, Luc Brenatto & Yeza Brenatto & Nott | Veth Brenatto & Caleb Widogast, Mollymauk Tealeaf/Caleb Widogast, Yeza Brenatto/Nott | Veth Brenatto
Comments: 4
Kudos: 53





	1. Chapter 1

“Are you sure you’re okay to start school again? You know you don’t have to,” Veth says and Caleb smiles softly and takers her hand in his. Luc is in the other room giggling at something on the TV and he is grateful that the boy won’t hear any of this. 

“Yeah, I’m sure. I need to do something with my life. I won’t let...I won’t let them take that from me. Besides, this school is so far from Soltryce, no one will recognize it,” Caleb says. 

“Alright, but if you need anything you can call us or just come home,” Veth says. 

“I will. I promise. Do you need me to walk Luc to school?”

“Actually, we’ll be walking you. Luc insisted,” Veth says with a grin and Luc comes running into the room dressed in the kitten socks Caleb had given him for his birthday. The little halfling grins at him. 

“You walk me to school all the time it’s my turn now!” He grins and Caleb lifts him up. 

“Oooh I can’t wait. You go get your shoes on and I will eagerly await my escort,” Caleb says and sets the boy down and he runs off. 

“You know, he keeps telling everyone he knows that his big brother is going to university,” Veth says with a soft smile on her face. 

“B...brother?” Caleb says. 

“In all but name, but you can change that if you want to,” Veth says. 

“I was unaware you could adopt adults.”

“You’re seventeen Caleb. You want to be a Brenatto all you have to do is tell me. Yeza and Luc both agree,” Veth says. 

“Veth…”

“You think about it. I won’t be offended if you say no. You’re still our son no matter what a piece of paper says,” Veth says and Luc comes running in with sneakers that match Caleb’s own and Caleb has to fight down the tears that threaten to fall. 

“Look Caleb! We match! I made mama get me a pair!” Luc says and Caleb smiles. 

“Amazing. What did I do to deserve such an amazing brother,” Caleb says with a soft smile. The walk to campus is shorter than it felt when Caleb had done the trips in secret. Not wanting to get Veth and Yeza involved until he was sure. But now the trip passes quickly with Luc on his shoulder talking about games he plays with his friends.

“Well this is me. Do you want me to pick Luc up after?” Caleb asks. 

“Do you have classes it would interfere with?” Veth asks. 

“No. My classes end at two today and he would be right down the street,” Caleb says and the Halfling gives him her patented liar check look. 

“Alright, if you can’t just call Yeza or I. And don’t do it if it would interfere with making friends or taking part in things alright?”

“Seeing what happened the last time I made friends, I don’t think I will be doing that,” Caleb says. 

“Caleb you were fourteen, in a place not designed for you around horrible people. I promise you, this is not going to be anything like that. The worst thing that should happen is a friend getting too drunk at a party and passing out. If something worse than that happens you call me right away, and if you aren’t sure then tell Yeza or I, we won’t be upset,” Veth says and Caleb nods and sets Luc on the ground. 

“You behave alright?” Caleb says.

“Only if you do,” Luc says. 

“Deal,” Caleb says and waves before heading into the building where his first class is. He sits at a table in the corner and starts typing. First step of the new year is to avoid the Professor’s attention. That’s what had started…the situation...at his last school and he doesn’t want to risk a repeat. 

“Hi! This seat taken?” The girl who is motioning to the seat is bright blue, with smallish horns and a huge grin. A bright pink dress nearly blinding him. 

Caleb breaks into a panic. This is how he had met Astrid and Wulf. They had sat with him in class and then...everything happened. 

“Yeah,” Caleb says and moves over a bit to put a little extra space between them. 

“Hi, I’m Jester!” She says. 

“Caleb.” 

“Nice to meet you Caleb. What do you want to study?”

“Transmutation,” Caleb says, staring ahead. He should be in a higher level than this class but this school has history of magic as a core requirement. So here he is taking a class he already knows. 

“Oh wow, I have a friend who is studying transmutation too. He isn’t quite sure if he wants to focus on that or not but maybe you two will have class together!” She says and Caleb doesn’t bother to tell her they probably won’t because he’s in the higher level classes already. 

“Hey Jester. Hey random guy,” a buff woman says sitting down at the final seat at the table. 

“Beau, this is Caleb. He’s studying transmutation like Fjord,” Jester says. 

“Cool, name’s Beau,” the woman says and Caleb could scream. Jester is too excitable and Beau seems loud and brash. Horrible for keeping a low profile. He’s saved from any more small talk by the professor walking in and the lesson beginning. 

He’s so absorbed in taking notes he almost doesn’t notice the bright pink of paper until it is flung into his face. 

He opens it and sees cute handwriting that must belong to Jester. 

It says:

What is your schedule? MAYBE WE HAVE MORE CLASSES TOGETHER!

Rather than write it down he hands her the perfectly folded schedule he has in his bag. Yeza had told him that this sort of thing was normal. 

“You and Fjord have Magical Ethics together after this!” She half whispers, half shouts and Caleb gives a soft smile, her excitement must be catching. 

“Mr. Widogast, perhaps you can tell me what early mages thought residuum could be used for,” The professor asks and Caleb feels his body tense up. 

“They believed that it could be used to increase arcane potential. To make spells stronger,” Caleb says. 

“Yes. However, such practice has been outlawed due to some unsavory mages,” the professor says and moves on to another student. 

“You okay dude, you looked nervous and I don’t mean in the oh shit the prof called on me kind of way.” Beau says. 

“Ja, I am fine,” Caleb says and is very relieved when the bell rings. He grabs his bag, nods a goodbye to the women and makes his way to his Magical Ethics class and sits as far back as he humanly can. If he were going to be recognized in any class it would be this one. 

“Hey there, you must be Caleb, Jessie said I should sit with you. Name’s Fjord,” the tall green, half-orc says taking the seat next to him. 

“Ja, I am Caleb. I assume Jessie is Jester.” 

“Yeah, she and Beau said to sit with you. Said we’d get along,” Fjord says. Caleb smiles a little. Astrid and Wulf had always scared other students away from him. Preferring him to hang out with them only. 

“Ja, that sounds like her,” Caleb says and turns to write down the notes on the board. Finishing before Fjord has even gotten his belongings out of his bag. Caleb knows his speed of note taking will just set him apart from the other students in the room but he can’t turn it off. His knuckles still bear the scars of missing or incorrect note taking. 

“Okay class, today we will be learning about the use of charm person and issues of consent,” the teacher says and begins writing on the board and Caleb follows what he is writing and saying with his pen in his book. He can feel Fjord’s eyes on him and Caleb tenses. 

“I have never seen someone take notes so quickly. Is it a spell? Lord knows I need it,” Fjord says. 

“Sorry, this is just one of those things that make me weird,” Caleb says. Astrid always told him that other students at the academy thought he was weird for his memory and their quick note taking. He’s not sure how much of that was manipulation. 

“Makes you lucky in my opinion. Note taking is a pain,” Fjord says. 

Caleb smiles softly and when class ends he gets up to find the library to eat. 

“Come eat with Jessie, Beau, and some of our other friends in the dining hall. I think you would fit in with us,” Fjord says. 

“But I already have food.”

“You can eat outside food in there. Besides we all end up stealing from each other anyway.”

Caleb shouldn’t. Shouldn’t be trusting people this early. But he remembers how much better his life was when he finally let Veth, Yeza, and Luc in and...he remembers friends from before Astrid and Wulf. About how good they had made him feel. 

“I suppose, if I wouldn’t be a bother,” Caleb says. 

“Not a bother at all. Jester, Molly, and Beau can get a bit wild. I need another calm person to help me deal with them,” Fjord says. 

“I am an anxious mess, definitely not calm,” Caleb deadpans. 

“Are you going to put eggs on your privates and run into the health center pretending to have the plague?”

“Uh...no…”

“Good enough for me. Come on,” Fjord says and Caleb follows him a little dumbfounded. Did...he say...eggs...on privates? What has he gotten himself into? Is this weird enough to tell Veth about?

Caleb doesn’t know. 

But he's curious enough to find out.


	2. Chapter 2

“Cayleb! Fjord convinced you to eat with us?” Jester says, when she catches sight of them. Caleb shies away a little until he sees that no one really cares about the yelling and are going about their lives. 

“Ja. He was very convincing,” Caleb says when they are closer to the table. He can see that next to Jester is a brightly colored coat. A very brightly colored coat. Along with a hoodie that Caleb recognizes as belonging to Beau. 

“Excuse me,” A quiet voice says. Caleb jumps and turns. Then looks up. The woman standing there is so much taller than he is.

“Yasha! This is our new friend Cayleb. Cayleb this is Yasha, Beau’s girlfriend,” Jester says and the woman, Yasha smiles. 

“It’s nice to meet you. Could I squeeze by? My bag is heavy,” she says. 

“Ja! I am sorry,” Caleb says and pulls the empty seat out for her to put her back down. 

“Thank you,” she says. 

“I’m going to grab food. I assume Molly and Beau are already in line somewhere?”

“Yeah, but I don’t know where,” Jester says. 

“Cool,” Fjord says and heads towards the crowded area where Caleb assumes the food is. He grabs the seat next to Yasha and across from the brightly colored coat. 

“So how has your first day been?” Jester asks, as Caleb pulls out the sandwich Veth made for him. 

“It has been educational. It is nice to be learning again,” Caleb says and his phone buzzes with a text. 

“Ah, one moment please,” he says, pulling it out. 

V: If you pick up Luc today bring him to the ice cream shop by the apothecary. My treat for first day celebrations :)

C: Luc will be very happy

Caleb puts his phone down in time to see a purple tiefling sliding into the seat across from him and next to Jester. He puts his food on the table and leans down chin in his hand to examine Caleb. 

“Well, I haven’t seen you around before,” he says. 

“Molly this is Cayleb, Cayleb this is Molly,” Jester says. Molly smiles at him. 

“A pleasure. What is it you study?”

“Transmutation,” Caleb says. 

“Well that’s amazing because I’m sure there could be magic between us,” Molly says. Caleb blinks and starts making a noise like a dying bird. 

“Molly don’t scare off the new guy,” Beau says. And Caleb sees her peek at his phone. 

“Who’s V? A Girl?” Beau asks. 

“Oh do you have a girlfriend Cayleb?” Jester asks. 

“Ah...No. V is...ah...my mother?” Caleb says. 

“You don’t sound very sure of that,” Molly says. 

“Molly, Beau, lay off of him,” Fjord says. 

“No...it’s just complicated. It is a rather...new situation. She is like my mother, but we just talked about it this morning. Right now she is...I don’t know the word in common...uh...Pflegemutter...oh! Foster Mother,” Caleb says. 

“Oh, hello. I see you made a new friend. New friends are nice,” a Firbolg says, sitting down with them. 

“Caleb Widogast."

“Caduceus Clay, but everyone calls me Cad," he says, sticking a fork into a sad looking salad.

"A pleasure," Caleb says. When everyone seems to finally be sitting he checks to make sure he hasn't forgotten to introduce himself to anyone.

"What do you have after this Caleb?" Jester asks.

"Experimental Magic Techniques, I believe it is in the Arts building," Caleb says.

"Oh most definitely. Yasha, Jester, and I all have class over there next so we can walk you. That class gets wild though. Last year some senior turned the building pink," Molly says.

"I was very sad when they changed it back," Jester says, with a pout.

"Caleb, you're a sophomore like us right?" Fjord asks.

"Ja," Caleb says.

"That's a senior level course," Fjord says.

"Ja. I have...uh... special circumstances," Caleb says.

"What sort of circumstances?" Beau asks.

"Don't mind her. She's going to be an expositor with the Cobalt Soul one day. That means she doesn't know how to keep her nose out of things," Molly says.

"I was on an advanced track at my last school. I took some time off for personal reasons," Caleb says. It's not technically a lie.

"What sorts of reasons?"

"College is no place for a fourteen year old," Caleb says.

"Wh…" 

"So Caleb, what are you studying? Jester and I are both getting degrees in healing but she's also studying art and I'm studying philosophy," Cad says.

"And I think we can all guess that I am in the Drama program," Molly says.

"Music," Yasha says.

"Beau is studying history...like a nerd," Molly says.

"And I'm sort of bouncing around different magical focuses until I find one that feels right."

"I am studying transmutation...however most of the classes here, I have already taken, so I may choose a new magical focus or studying literature," Caleb says. Veth and Yeza had both told him he should study something he loves.

"Thought perhaps you might study chemistry since there's so much of it between us," Molly says, and the whole table groans.

"Molly is a shameless flirt if you couldn't tell," Beau says.

"I figured," Caleb says. These people are much different than Wolf and Astrid. It's kind of nice.

"If we want to get to class we'd better go now," Yasha says, rising to grab her bag. Caleb immediately getting up to let her get out. Molly and Jester both stand and the the three wave to the remaining three before they leave and head to the art building.

"Your demolition derby is right in there," Molly says pointing to a set of double oak doors. 

"Why is it in the arts building?" Caleb asks.

"Because the administration doesn't care about art majors so they don't mind if this building gets destroyed," Molly says as the three of them head off towards the stairs. 

Caleb goes into the classroom. It's already almost completely full of people. Caleb sighs and moves down the rows until he spots a seat near the front where a drow is sitting. 

"May I...uh sit here?" Caleb asks.

"If you must," the drow says. Caleb raises an eyebrow but sits down.

"This is a senior class you know. I'm not sure how you managed to get placed in it but…" the drow starts to say. He sounds a bit like Astrid when he says it.

That's not a good thing.

"I am in it because this is one of three core magic classes that this school requires that I have not already taken at my previous school. I may be younger than you but I have the same classes under my belt that you do," Caleb says. He doesn't bother to keep his attention on the drow. Instead turning away from him.

"Essek," the drow says.

"Was?"

"My name. Essek. I apologize for being rude but most of the time people sit next to me purely so they can cheat. It'd be nice to share a table with someone...on my level," Essek says. The way he speaks reminds him of when Caleb was Bren and he was forcing himself to speak the way...he wanted him to speak. Like Essek would rather talk or say something differently but he believes someone would be unhappy with him.

Caleb doesn't like it.

Which makes his decision a bit easier.

"My name is Caleb."


	3. Chapter 3

Class ends quickly and Essek vanishes quickly after with a soft awkward smile towards him and what could have been a wave if he hadn’t cut himself off. 

Caleb grabs his bag and checks his watch. He has a couple of minutes before he would need to leave to get to Luc’s school. 

“Hi Cay-leb,” he hears and looks around. Jester is sitting on the wall outside the building with Molly and Yasha. Beau on her way over. 

“Oh, hello everyone,” Caleb says going over to them. 

“How was class?” Fjord asks as he too comes out of nowhere to join them. 

“Good. I met someone odd but…” Caleb shrugs. 

“Oh? Who?” Jester asks. 

“Essek…”

“Hot boi,” Jester says. 

“Was?” Caleb asks. 

“Essek. Hot boi,” Jester says grinning. 

“Ignore her. He isn’t all that Jessie,” Molly says. 

“I don’t know he’s pretty attractive,” Yasha says.

“Very,” Jester says. 

“Sure, but his personality leaves much to be desired,” Molly says. 

When Beau and Cad get here we are going to go get Tea at the cafe Cad’s family owns. Do you want to come?” Jester asks. 

“I would love to, but I am going to get ice cream with my brother after I pick him up from school,” Caleb says. He could just call Veth but...he wants to celebrate with Luc. 

“No problem. We go almost every day at this time. You can just come tomorrow,” Fjord says. 

“Ja, I would like that,” he says. 

“How old is your brother?” Jester asks. 

“Four,” Caleb says. 

“Awwww,” Jester says. 

“Ah to be four again,” Molly sighs. 

“Ja, I know. I should be going,” Caleb says. The walk to the school is a short one and he gets there just as he sees Luc’s teacher pointing family out to the children. When Luc sees him he tugs on the teacher’s sleeve and points to him and she nods. Caleb smiles and ruffles Luc’s hair when he catches up to him. 

“How was school,” Caleb asks. 

“Good! We’re gonna get to make puppets!,” Luc says.

“That sounds nice,” Caleb says. 

“I’m gonna make you!” Luc says. Caleb freezes a little bit. 

“I would be honored,” Caleb says, with a smile. He holds tightly to Luc’s hand as they pass the school, not wanting him to get lost in the throng of students. 

“Hi Cay-leb,” Jester says, and Caleb jumps with a yelp, to see all his new friends looking at him. 

“Hello Jester,” Caleb says. 

“Hi!” Luc says. 

“Oh aren’t you adorable,” Jester says. Luc smiles at her. 

“Everyone this is Luc, my brother,” Caleb says. 

“Hi Luc, I’m Jester,” she says. It continues on with them each introducing each other. Caleb is still holding tightly to Caleb’s hand. 

“I hear you are going somewhere with Caleb,” Jester says and Luc turns to him.

“A surprise?” Luc asks excitedly. 

“Ja, a secret one,” Caleb says. 

“Is it a toy?” Luc asks. 

“No.”

“A puppy?”

“Nein, we have Frumpkin,” Caleb says, snapping his fingers so the cat settles on Luc’s shoulders.

“Uh...oh! Movies?”

“Nuh uh,” Caleb says. 

“Uh...Ice Cream!” Luc says, and Caleb knows he recognizes the store they are making a straight line towards. 

“Hey there,” Veth says, waving from in front of the store. 

“Hello Veth,” Caleb says, watching Luc run to her. 

“Hello Mrs. Brenatto,” Cad says. 

“Ah Caduceus. I see you finally met my son Caleb,” Veth says. 

“You know each other?”

“Caduceus’ family runs the cafe across the street from the apothecary. He’s the boy I kept trying to get you to meet,” Veth says. 

“Well, this just goes to show that you are an excellent judge of people Mrs. Brenatto. Caleb is very nice,” Cad says. 

“None of that Caduceus. It’s Veth. Please.”

“I’m Jester,” she says, and that triggers all of them introducing themselves. 

“It is nice to meet you all,” Veth says. The two groups part ways and Caleb follows his family into the ice cream shop.

It’s nice. 

Caleb sighs as he walks through the halls of the school. Something’s off. No one is looking at him and they are all so much taller than him. Like when he was back at...no. He’s seventeen, not fourteen. He’s not there. He is here with Veth and Luc and Yeza. He has a new family, and Trent is...Trent is...not here. 

“Bren, it’s time for class,” a familiar voice says. Caleb turns to see familiar blond hair and next to her familiar black hair. Behind the two of them he can see grey hair that has haunted his nightmares for years. 

Caleb turns and spots Jester talking to the rest of the people he met today and runs towards them. 

When he gets there Jester looks straight through him.

"Has anyone seen Cay-Leb today?" She asks and while the others chorus out their denials, hands land on Caleb's shoulders and begin to drag him back towards the three specters of the past. All the while Caleb screams for someone to save him.

"Come along Bren, you have lessons to complete," a voice, one that haunts his deepest nightmares, says and everything goes dark.

Caleb shoots up on bed clamping down on his mouth to keep from screaming. He doesn't want to wake up the whole house. That wouldn't mean anything good. It means more visits to his therapist and he already sees her twice a week. 

Caleb sighs and checks the clock. There's still three hours before he has to head to school. 

He leans over and grabs a book and begins to read. Once his heart has stopped racing and the adrenaline wears off he finishes the book he's reading, puts it down, and goes back to sleep.

It's blessedly devoid of nightmares.


End file.
